It reached a point less than 200 miles from the town of Sitka, Alaska, travelling at 1mph with no lights and no power and no people on board, before a cutter was sent to intercept it.

The Anacapa cutter fires high explosive rounds from a cannon, which will allow it to blow holes in the battered boat and send it to the seabed.

Other ships were warned to keep out of the area.

US Coast Guard Petty Officer David Mosley said: "Our cutters are armed and this vessel has got two different types of chain-gun systems on board. The intention is to utilise one of those systems to strategically put holes in the hull of the ship to cause it to sink.

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"The vessel is an immediate hazard and danger to commercial shipping. It is in active shipping lanes and the vessel is unattended, it's unlit and we don't want to have an incident at sea where another vessel were to collide with it." The shrimping vessel, which is believed to be up to 60 metres long, was set adrift from Hokkaido, Japan, by the tsunami. It is in the vanguard of about 5 million tons of debris swept into the ocean, some of which is expected to end up on the west coast of North America.

It is carrying several thousand gallons of diesel which will go down with it, but the Coast Guard said there would be no environmental impact.

A spokesman said: "The vessel is far enough off shore that if any product did enter the water, it would be dissipated naturally by the wind wave and weather patterns before it came it contact with sensitive areas on shore."

The Coast Guard said it was too dangerous for anyone to board the ship and its owner no longer wanted it.